Most people spend more time in their homes than anywhere else, so ensuring that your home is genuinely comfortable can go a long way toward boosting your mood and overall quality of life. The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in a home, as both a space used multiple times a day and a space that guests and potential buyers interact with frequently. According to most real estate appraisal groups, in northern Virginia the kitchen is the room in the home most recommended for investing in updates and redesigns. However; there are a few things to consider prior to beginning your kitchen’s redesign. Read on to learn what aspects matter most when remodeling or redesigning your kitchen.
Is The Remodel For You Or Future Buyers?
If you plan to put your house on the marketing the next year or so, then you should remodel with potential buyers in mind. However; if this remodel is to make your kitchen a more livable and enjoyable space for you and your family, then be sure to put your own personal flair on the space.
When remodeling or redesigning with future buyers in mind to get the most value out of your home, it may be necessary to remove yourself from many of the decisions regarding materials or personal preferences such as customization in order to appeal to many different potential buyers. Keep the remodel focused on creating an attractive and functional modern kitchen space that any buyer would enjoy. You can get ideas on the latest remodeling trends and interests by consulting your designer or online design blogs and magazines.
Remodeling is most often done to update a space to better fit a family’s needs or improve a space that you use multiple times throughout the day. In that case, you should feel free to integrate some aspect of your own personal flair into the project. This can be something as large as a custom themed kitchen with unique colors and fixtures, or as small as a preference for a certain contrast color or type of shelving. This is the perfect opportunity to bring your dream kitchen to life, and although a designer can provide helpful design and planning suggestions, the decisions are all up to you.
What Is Your Budget?
Determine your budget for your kitchen redesign. Knowing how much similar kitchen remodeling projects cost from the outset will provide realistic expectations of what you’ll be able to accomplish with the budget you have. Even if you aren’t sure how much you’re willing to spend, making an initial budget will allow you to begin a dialogue with remodelers and designers and help to narrow in on design and material choices.
A number of things will go into coming up with a budget, including, whether you are remodeling to sell or to make the space more comfortable for your family. In either case, kitchen remodeling has one of the best returns on investment of home renovation projects. However; determining how much you are willing to invest in the space is important to establishing a size and scope for the project.
Do some research to find out how much similar remodeling projects have cost, in addition to looking at various kitchens in the different houses in your neighborhood. This can be done by going to local open houses or online home sale websites and speaking to realtors and home remodeling experts. Once you have an idea of what a similar kitchen costs to design and remodel, you can get quotes from local design and remodeling companies to ensure your budget is realistic for the updates you have in mind.
Creating a budget will also help you to determine what aspects of your current kitchen you are willing to live with, and what needs to change. You may need to adjust some of your wish-list items to fit you budget or rethink your budget to get all your must-haves for the project. Many times, a remodeling budget consists of give and take to get the best possible outcome. Oftentimes, if your budget or wish list flexible, a designer can help you prioritize the most important aspects of your kitchen redesign.
What Features Are Most Important?
Now comes the fun part– selecting features for your kitchen design. Look at your existing kitchen and its features to determine what aspects you would like to have changed or updated. Maybe you have an older home and your kitchen needs modern updates or you have a very plain kitchen and want to add more personal flair or customization to better suit your family’s needs–in either case you need to come up with an idea of what you would like to see changed.
Kitchen design companies and remodelers have showrooms with plenty of samples to look around and choose from in addition to features they have included in previous design projects for other customers and visualizers to help you create your design, although you probably already have an idea of what features you are interested in based on previous research you have done.
You may want to invest in an open floor plan for entertaining family and friends, increased cabinet space or shelving for additional storage, opt for a kitchen island, integrate appliances with smart technology, or install large windows for better lighting. Any of these options can increase your kitchen’s value but outlining which features will be most used and enjoyed can help you decide which aspects to fund in the new design.
Will The Layout Change?
Decide whether changing the layout is important to you, and what benefits or drawbacks such a change will have.
If your kitchen is galley style, or closed in, it may be worth it to tear down some walls and turn the space into an open floor plan kitchen. Sometimes it may be better to gut a kitchen and start from scratch, especially if the kitchen is mush older and its materials are damaged or have deteriorated. Changing your layout can enable you to extend the kitchen out to flow into a patio or outdoor space for grilling and entertaining.
On the flip side, keeping appliances and other items in the same place can also reduce costs, since there is no need for rewiring or plumbing relocation. If you already have a semi-open kitchen space, then you may just need material and functional upgrades–which will cost less than changing the floorplan.
Your designer can help you come up with a design that works for your needs, but it helps to have an idea of what you want before going into a discussion, so they can help you achieve your goals.
What Is Your Kitchen’s Theme Or Style?
Decide on a common theme or style for your kitchen redesign. Whether you want a modern, all-white kitchen with sleek finishes and appliances, or a quirky and charming kitchen in a certain color scheme with a retro feel, it’s important to have some idea of how different pieces will come together. This is a great opportunity to dig a little deeper and consider what type of kitchen style you are looking for–modern, retro, traditional, etc., and visit the designer’s showroom to view different materials and get inspired. For many people, this is the most fun aspect of redesigning your kitchen. You get to select the paint colors, countertop material and style, cabinet material and colors, among many other choices.
Before you may have had a vague idea that you would like to redesign your kitchen to be a “more modern white kitchen with quartz countertops”, but now is the time to get specific and work with your new designer to come up with a solid plan they can being drafting and putting into motion. This includes considering your current layout, lifestyle, and budget. Whether you are looking for a modern all-white kitchen, sleek metal and chrome, updated to better fit your needs, or want a traditional kitchen with natural wood cabinets for a classic look, choosing materials that mesh well together is paramount.
Designers can help you being your vision to life, and often have blogs and online visualizers to help you come up with a cohesive kitchen design. Colors, textures, and styles are important in the consideration of how various countertops, cabinets, and appliances will look together once your project is complete. Review home remodeling and design magazines, websites such as Pinterest, and even remodeling and design blogs from companies you speak to, in order to get a better idea of what your new kitchen design can aspire to look like.
For Kitchen remodeling and design, contact Kitchen Design Center in Fairfax, VA to help you create your dream kitchen. Call us at 703-244-1220, send us an email at [email protected] or visit our local showroom at 11217 Lee Highway Unit E, Fairfax VA.